FOREIGNIRELATIONS, 19 49, VOLUME VI


Session in 1949), adopt a resolution which'(1} declares the concern
of the United Nations for observance of the law of the Charter, (2)
recalls to the member states that the fundamental substantive obliga-
tions undertaken in the Charter do not lapse upon the inability or
failure of the United Nations machinery to operate with full effective-
ness, (3) reminds the members of their duty to support and:defend
the purposes and principles of the United Nations, (4): resolves that
it is the sense and intention of the Assembly that,: in* the'event of
any member communicating to the Secretary General an assertion
that an armed attack has occurred, a special session of the Assembly
under Article 20 of the Charter will at once be called upon agreement
of amajority of the members of the United Nations,* and (5).re-
solves-that if the Security Council, concurrently meeting in continuous
session, .does not, promptly.,take action to maintain or restore-inter-
national peace and security, the General Assembly will make appro-
priate findings4.f
  The purpose of such action by the Assembly would be to make
clear in advance thatthere can and will be a judgment of the inter-
national community on the facts of any situation in which-armed
attack is alleged and the ýSecurity-Council fails to take adequate
meas-
ures. Such a judgment would give guidance to the individual members
of the United Nations as to whether armed attack has really occurred
and who is the aggressor. The effect of such a judgment would be to
marshal the. moral' and political :strength of-the. United Nations in
defense of the victim and in support of the law of the Charter. Pur-
suant to such a judgment, members of the United Nations would take
appropriate action to restore international peace and security, per,-
haps having already consulted to coordinate their activities. In the
event of armed attack which- called into operation the provisions ofr
the North Atlantic_ Treaty,: or of a Middle6.East pact, or both, the
deliberations of the General Assembly would be concurrent not only
with those of the Security Council but also with those of the council
established by Article 9 of the North Atlantic Treaty, or with pro-
cedure under a Middle East pact. -This concurrence-would have the
advantage of affording to :i the Atlantic and Middle East Treaty states
an accurate reading of general international opinion, and of indicat-
ing what action taken pursuant to the Treaties would command maxi-
mum support among the United Nations.
  *The General Assembly's 'Rules of Pr cedure would require amendment to
shorten the interval botween the call for a special session and ,the first
actual
meeting of such a session. [Flootnote in the srource text.]
  f-The action of the General Assembly, particularly any recommendations
which
it might decide to make, would come.after the ,Security Council had completed
its futile consideration of the case and voted to remove iAt from ,the agenda.
See
Article 12 of the Charter. But -the Assembly could discuss during the Council's
deliberations. [Fooqtnote in the sourcetext.] .


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